convulsion
Americannoun
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contortion of the body caused by violent, involuntary muscular contractions of the extremities, trunk, and head.
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violent agitation or disturbance; commotion.
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an outburst of great, uncontrollable laughter.
noun
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a violent involuntary contraction of a muscle or muscles
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a violent upheaval, disturbance, or agitation, esp a social one
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informal (usually plural) uncontrollable laughter
I was in convulsions
Other Word Forms
- convulsionary adjective
Etymology
Origin of convulsion
First recorded in 1575–85, convulsion is from the Latin word convulsiōn- (stem of convulsiō ). See convulse, -ion
Explanation
If you see someone have a convulsion, it can either be scary or funny, depending on whether it's caused by a medical condition or a really funny joke. A convulsion is a jerking, uncontrolled movement. When a person has a convulsion, it appears as a sudden, violent movement of the body. Convulsions most often happen as a result of a medical condition or illness like epilepsy, but you can also describe a jerky, irregular movement as a convulsion, even if it's caused by hiccups or laughter. A political upheaval or social turmoil can also be called a convulsion, if it's abrupt and violent. The Latin root word is convulsionem, which means "to tear loose."
Vocabulary lists containing convulsion
Anthem
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"A Retrieved Reformation" by O. Henry
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Despite suffering from a convulsion hours before the final.
From BBC • May 21, 2025
The remaining two recordings were triggered by sound or motion, but only one suggested that a muscle convulsion, a sign of seizure, had occurred.
From Science Daily • Jan. 4, 2024
In the middle of this convulsion, Ms. de Bonafini’s life was turned upside down.
From New York Times • Nov. 22, 2022
A convulsion has shaken America and many other Western democracies over the past few years.
From Seattle Times • Nov. 13, 2022
Nobody peeked their head in the door to see if I was absent or sick or maybe having a convulsion in the middle of the floor.
From "Out of My Mind" by Sharon M. Draper
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
